The present invention relates to a liquid sealing and dispensing device and more specifically to a device for the controlled dispensing of a pressurized liquid from a container.
Carbonated beverages are normally dispensed from a bottle or container by hand simply by turning the bottle over and pouring a drink into a container such as a glass. Recently, carbonated beverages are being sold in larger and larger containers which do not always allow for the contents to be used at one sitting. Therefore, in these instances, when the remaining contents of the container are stored over a period of time such as several days or more, the contents in the container tend to become flat because the screw type sealing cap on these containers does not adequately seal the container. In addition, when used from time to time the cap is normally placed on a counter and the contents of the container are opened to the atmosphere which further tends to dissipate the carbonic acid content which is essential in preserving the effervescence or fizz contained within the beverage, resulting in the beverage soon losing its flavor and effervescence.
In response to the above,, the art has developed detachable dispensing heads for carbonated beverage devices which address this particular problem. These devices, such as that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,534, tend to be extremely complex in their design, and have a high head or silhouette which results in the bottle gaining in height and therefore presenting storage problems with regard to the height of storage shelves contained within a refrigerator. The device of the type illustrated by the U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,534 patent is complex in structure and therefore tends to be susceptible to breakage or malfunction when used over a long period of time due to the large number of parts required in its construction. In addition, the complexity of devices of this type also results in increased manufacturing costs and therefore are expensive to purchase.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for a, detachable sealing and dispensing apparatus having particular use for sealing and preserving the flavor and freshness of a carbonated beverage, which is both simple and durable in its construction and which provides for a controlled smooth flow of liquid from the container. There is also a need for a device which provides a low profile which does not significantly increase the overall bottle height when in place. There is also a need in the field for a device which is leak proof and which effectively empties the entire contents of a liquid container no matter what position the container is placed in when being poured or emptied.
It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide for an improved sealing and dispensing device which overcomes the above noted disadvantages, and which provides for a simple, efficient controlled valving mechanism and which has a low profile for storage advantages.